Semiconductor lasers play an extremely important role in fiber optic communication systems. By selecting the appropriate semiconductor material, conventionally III-V alloy compounds, lasers which generate emission in the wavelength range 0.8 .mu.m to 1.7 .mu.m can be fabricated. Of particular interest for long haul communication systems are lasers having an emission wavelength in the range 1.3 to 1.55 .mu.m as these wavelengths are particularly well matched to transmission characteristics of low loss single mode fibers. Shorter wavelength devices i.e., in the order of 0.9 .mu.m are acceptable for multi-mode short distance transmission such as local area computer networks and circuit board and electronic module interconnections. Fabry-Perot lasers and, more recently, distributed feedback (DFB) lasers have been investigated extensively and device architectures have developed to the point where efficient, single mode, edge-emitting lasers are readily available. Growing out of these developments and more particularly developments in connection with the DFB lasers, i.e., lasers having periodic perturbations at the surface or buried within the structure, is the surface emitting laser (SEL) in which the light is emitted normally to the surface of the device. Because the output beam is emitted normally to the surface of the device, surface emitting lasers can be processed utilizing techniques developed for integrated circuit fabrication. Further, device testing can be performed in wafer form, i.e. it is not necessary to cleave each individual device from the wafer in order to test as is the case for edge emitters. This results in reduced processing costs and improved reliability. Since the SEL may be located anywhere on an optoelectronic integrated circuit, i.e. not restricted to an edge, the architecture is well suited to the integration of the laser and the requisite drive circuitry on a common substrate.